Front-end construction for rotating rock drills



F. M. SLATER. FRONT END CONSTRUCTION FOR ROTATING ROCK DRILLS. APPLICATION FILED MAR; 22, 1920.

qwfigg Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

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nnnr are arena carton FRED SLATER, F EASTON, PENNSYIVANIA, AS$IGNOR T0 WG'EMQLE-WD WWW, @IE' JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 01 NW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters latent.

' FRONT-m CON$TRUCWION FUR EUTATHG ROCK IDEJILJLS.

Patented Feb, 211., 19220 Application filed March 22, 1920. Serial No. 367,832.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED M. SLATER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Easthe drill steel and the rotation sleeve .01

chuck and is apt to carry dirt and particles of material into the operative parts of the drill thus clogging the operation and causing excessive wear and possibly breaka e.

'lihe primary object of the present invention is to afford means for protecting the operative parts of the drill as far as possible from the injurious effects of the water and dirt, and to these ends the invention consists of the construction illustrated in one of its preferred forms in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tool embodying the invention, J

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail elevatlon of the front head of the tool partly broken away and partly in longitudinal section, and

Flgure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. 1

Referring to the drawings, A represents a cylinder casing or drill casing of a stope drill of the percussive type having the usual air feed cylinder B, air feed cylinder iston C and foot I). The front head is clamped to the cylinder casing A by the spring pressed side bolts F and the drill steel or bit G in this instance, is held in the chuck bushing H mounted in the chuck J which is connected to be rotated by a suitable rotation motor referably located in the motor casing K. E portion of the motor rotation train of gearing is shown in Figure 2 within the front head E, the pinion L meshing with the gear 0 keyed to the chuck J as by means of the key P. An anvil block Q is also shown in Figure 2 as a preferable construction.

Fluid pressure is admitted to the tool through the inlet R and distributed to the hammer cylinder casing A and the air feed cylinder B by the usual throttle valve S. A

handle 1 may be provided to be grasped by the operator.

Dirt and water enter the tool around the drill steel at the points indicated by the arrows (1 in Figure '2, but inaccordance with this invention, a plurality of exits U for such water and foreign matter are provided in the chuck J at points located at the base of the shank of the drill steel'G, and the front head E is formed with a fort'vardly extending shroud V separate from the chuck J, and supported on arms V. The shroud V partially covers the exits or orifices U and serves to protect the operator from the issuing dirt and water by deflecting the issuing stream and reducing the velocity. The shroud V preferably extends somewhat below the exits or orifices U so that the dirt and water have indirect or tortuous passages of increasing capacity or size from the interior to the exterior of the tool and the muddy cleaning fluid is thus prevented from bein thrown outward in the form of spray. l ith my improved construction, the

tendency of the fluid entering the tool around the drill steel at a will be to pass out at .the orifices U in the whirling or rotating chuck J, rather than to pass downwardly into the operative parts of the tool.

As a further means of protecting the tool, the chuck J is provided with an overhanging flange W which protects the joint forming a circular bearing between the front head E at the shroud V and the chuck J and with a similar joint W below the point at which the orifices U issue, forming a second hearing. The bearing between the shroud V of the front head E and the rotating chuck J is further lubricated and kept clean by means of the passages X which, as shown, extend from a gosition adjacent the rotation gears L and through the supports V" and shroud V of the front head E, to the bearing and joint referred to, and these passages permit motive fluid under reduced pressure carrying lubricant to pass to the thus tending to keep dirt and Water out of located at drill steel s tegral part and a circular supplying motive fluid the bearing and out of the joint between the chuck J and the shroud V of the front head E.

I claim 1. In a front end construction for rock drills, the combination of a chuck for holding the drill steel. and means for rotating the chuck, said chuck being provided with apertures located at points opposite the base of the drill steel shank for permitting water and extraneous matter to escape to the exterior of the drill casing without entering the operative parts of the tool, a shroud for said apertures, forming an inof the front end of the rock drill, and a circular bearing between the shroud and the chuck.

2. In a front end construction for rock drills, the combination of a chuck for holding the drill steel, means for rotating the chuck, said chuck being provided with apertures located at points opposite the base of the drill steel shank for permitting water and extraneous matter to escape to the exterior of the drill casing without entering the operative parts of the tool, a protective shroud forming an integral part of the front head arranged opposite the said apertures, bearing between the shroud and said chuck.

3. In afront end construction for rock drills, the combination of a rotating chuck for holding the drill steel, and means for under reduced pressure to the bearing between the chuck and front head near the forward extremity of the bearing to eep said bearing free from dirt and other extraneous matter.

4. In a front end construction for rock drills, the combination of a rotating chuck for holding the drill steel, and means for supplying motive fluid under reduced pres sure carrying lubricant to the hearing 'between the chuck and front head near the forward extremity of the bearing to keep said bearing free fro dirt and other extraneous matter.

5. In a front end construction for rock drills, the combination of a front head, a rotating chuck for holdin the drill steel, said chuck being provide with apertures ints opposite the base of the ank for permitting water and extraneous matter to escape to the exterior of the drill casing without entering the operative parts of the tool, a circular bearing for the chuck carried by the front head 6. In a front end construction for rock drills, the combination of a rotating chuck for holding the drill steel, said chuck being provided with exit apertures, a front head in which said chuck is free to rotate, a hearing on the front head for said chuck located rearwardly of the apertures, and a circular bearing for the chuck carried by the front head and located forwardly of said apertures,

- 7. In a front end construction for rock drills, the combination of a rotating chuck for holding the drill steel, said chuck being provided with exit apertures, a front head in which said chuck is free to rotate, bearings between said chuck and front head both rearwardly and forwardly of said apertures, a shroud on said front head, forming a bearing for the chuck, and passages for supplying motive fluid and lubricant to the bore of the bearing between the chuck and shroud at a point forward of said apertures.

8. In a front end construction for rock drills, the combination of a chuck for holding the drill steel and means. for rotating the chuck, said chuck being provided with apertures located at points opposite the base of the drill steel shank for permitting water and extraneous matter to escape to the exterior of the drill casing without entering the operative parts of the tool, supports forming an integral part of the front end of the rock drill and extending forwardly past said apertures and a circular bearing be tween the forward portions of said supports and the chuck.

9. In a front end construction for rock for supplying of the supports, and means motive fluid under pressureto the bore of said circular bearing to keep said bearing clean.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

FRED sLAmER. 

